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PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea (The National, May 29, 2009) – Work at the giant Ramu nickel project in Madang province is surging ahead, with all previous issues between Chinese and PNG workers being resolved.

Operator Ramu NiCo, a subsidiary of Chinese metals multi-national Metallurgical Group Corp(MCC) received most of the heavy equipment for the processing plant, including very large generators for the 75MW power plant and autoclave pressure vessels to extract nickel and cobalt from the mined material.

Directors of 9 percent minority shareholder Highlands Pacific visited the mine site at Kurumbukari and the processing plant at Basamuk Bay and expressed satisfaction that the project was overcoming all minor problems while keeping to the schedule of exporting PNG nickel concentrate by next year.

The US$1.4 billion (K3.9 billion) project was the only one of six large mineral projects worldwide to have...

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (Radio New Zealand International, May 31, 2009) – Amnesty International has called on the United Nations to exert influence on Fiji’s military regime to curb systematic injustices there.

The regime has recently transferred the power to issue lawyers with practising certificates from the Fiji Law Society to the High Court.

Amnesty’s spokesman Patrick Holmes says the move is a serious attack on the independence of the legal profession.

He says the United Nations could apply pressure on the regime by denying employment to Fiji’s peace-keeping troops.

"That’s a big source of income for the government. It can’t be right that the United Nations continues to pump money into the government because they value the service of the troops - the same troops that are intimidating their countrymen."

Patrick Holmes injustices in Fiji are happening with alarming regularity and can only be overturned...

SUVA, Fiji (Fiji Times, June 1, 2009) – There is an urgent need to catapult reforms of our sugar industry if we are to achieve our target of 2.4million tonnes this year and prevent further importation of sugar.

The chairman of a taskforce to oversee the reforms, Parmesh Chand, said the industry cannot afford to wait around after the European Union soured the industry with a decision to withhold its estimated $60million [US$28.5 million] grant.

This is the second time Fiji missed the assistance after it failed to meet the EU requirements.

While the mills reforms are under way, Penang Sugar Mill has started crushing, stopped and is now working again with engineers assuring that ‘it should be running smoothly within a week or two."

Rarawai, Lautoka and Labasa Mills are expected to begin crushing soon as well.

"The EU money –– that is for next year –– is not coming in," Mr. Chand said. "We...

Speaking at the 89th Session of the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Council, he called for the inclusion of a separate provision on the issue in the second five-yearly Cotonou Review, which will be launched in Brussels later this week.

Mr. Abana said climate change and its impact is of critical importance to Solomon Islands and the Pacific.

"As we speak of adaptation and ways to mitigate its impacts, already some of our countries are experiencing it. Some outlying islands in my country already face food security problems caused by rising sea levels," Mr Abana said.

HAGATNA, Guam (Pacific Daily News, June 1, 2009) – Olongapo City in the Philippines, the site of the former U.S. Naval Base Subic Bay and a major training center for welders, could be a source of workers for the U.S. military buildup on Guam, Mayor James Gordon said last Wednesday.

Gordon said the city government has so far counted 8,000 potential hires for military buildup construction projects, and they are still counting.

"I'm prepared to deliver whatever is needed," said Gordon. "Because of the experience Olongapo has as a former base area, our people are exposed to that experience and they know how to operate in a military base."

Former Subic Bay workers who could be hired have been trained in ship repair, road building, carpentry, masonry and in the operation of power plants and airports, Gordon said.

SUVA, Fiji (Fijilive, May 31, 2009) – A delegation of 60 Chinese entrepreneurs and government officials led by China’s Vice Minister for Commerce Jiang Zengwei is due in Fiji this week, as part of bilateral efforts to strengthen Sino-Fiji relations.

Fiji Islands Trade and Investment Bureau (FTIB) chief executive officer Annie Rogers said the trip is a collaboration between FTIB, the Fiji-China Business Council and the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Fiji, with a workshop planned for Tuesday in Suva.

"The workshop will be officiated by H.E Mr Jiang Zengwei. The purpose of this workshop is to discuss matters related to furthering economic and trade cooperation between Fiji and China in addition to enabling an environment where those from Fiji and China’s private sectors convene and explore ways for furthering business cooperation," Rogers said.

NUKUALOFA, Tonga (Matangi Tonga, May 30, 2009) – The Japanese Ambassador to Tonga, HE Yasuo Takase, hosted a reception to mark the opening of the first Japanese Embassy in Tonga.

Japan is the fourth foreign country to establish a diplomatic mission in Tonga. The other three are New Zealand, Australia, and China.

The Embassy of Japan was established on January 1 in a temporary office at 'Umusi, while their new embassy on the top floor of the National Reserve Bank was refurbished.

The Ambassador Yasuo Takase arrived in Tonga on March 14 and on March 18 presented his credentials to HM King George Tupou V. Early in May the ambassaor moved into their permanent embassy.

The reception on Wednesday May 27 at the International Dateline Hotel was attended by the King, HRH Princess Pilolevu Tuita, the Prime Minister Hon. Dr Feleti Sevele, other members of the Tongan parliament, and local leaders and invited guests, including the...

PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea (The National, May 29, 2009) – The PNG Medical Society(PNGMS) has called on Government and private institutions to implement the tobacco legislation into work place policies at their work places.

PNGMS president Dr Mathias Sapuri said the tobacco legislation was already in place but was not being enforced because many institutions were not taking it seriously.

He urged the Health Department to revive the legislation and tighten it up to give the department power to penalise people who smoke in smoke-free zones.

Dr Sapuri’s comments were timely as PNG observes the World No Tobacco Day today with the theme "Tobacco Health Warnings".

"We need to have a penalty that is instituted by legislations.

"It is our responsibility, as the medical society, to advise the public that smoking causes cancer.

Pacific Islands Report is a nonprofit news publication of the Pacific Islands Development Program at the East-West Center in Honolulu, Hawai‘i. Offered as a free service to readers, PIR provides an edited digest of news, commentary and analysis from across the Pacific Islands region, Monday - Friday.